Page 20 of Three Nights with the Beastly Duke

“I’m so sorry we woke you up, but all will be well,” she promised Agnes.

“Something is not right,” Agnes stated, shaking her head. “Father is furious, and the Dowager Duchess of Whitekin is here.”

Lavinia felt her heart freeze, and she and Rebecca both snapped their heads to one another. Shesobadly wanted to ask if Arthur was with her.

“Do you know why?” Rebecca asked, coming closer to her sisters.

Agnes shook her head. “No, only that Papa greeted her at the front door himself and then the two of them directly went to his study. I tried to listen at the door, but they were speaking too softly.”

“Well, no shouting.” Rebecca sighed. “That is a good sign.”

“We may certainly choose to take it as one,” Lavinia agreed, not wanting to worry her sisters any more than they already were. “Come, it is getting late,” she urged gently. “Let us get to bed. Rebecca and I shall walk you back to your room.”

“No,” Agnes protested, tightening her grip around Lavinia’s waist. “Can we please stay together tonight?”

“I think that is an excellent idea,” Rebecca agreed quickly, giving Lavinia a pleading look.

A wave of sisterly love enveloped Lavinia as she held both of her sisters tight. “Truly, it is. Come, Rebecca, you can wear one of my nightgowns for the night.”

Agnes and Lavinia quickly helped Rebecca out of her gown and pins, and once she had her nightgown, the three of them crawled into Lavinia’s large bed and snuggled into one another under the covers.

“I love you, Vinnie,” Rebecca whispered.

“Love you, Vinnie,” Agnes echoed, already falling asleep.

Lavinia pressed her lips tightly together and squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the fresh tears. “I love you, too,” she breathed raggedly, holding them closer. “With all my heart.”

* * *

“She trapped my son,” Marianne Kendall, the Dowager Duchess of Whitekin, bit out, her teeth snapping together with each syllable.

Kenneth Dennis shook his head. Though he was outraged by his daughter’s actions, he couldn’t believe that.

“No,” he stated. “She is in ruin, obviously, but she would not do that. Rebecca was against this marriage from the beginning. Lavinia is so like her mother. Protective to a fault. I should have known she was up to something, but I could have never imagined this.”

He looked into Marianne’s eyes, his own pleading with her for understanding.

“I am so terribly sorry for what my daughter has done to our families,” he apologized emphatically. “I should have been keeping a better eye on them. Should have worked less. Remarried, even. Leaving them motherless is a personal sin I’ll never forgive myself for.”

Marianne’s stinging gaze softened, and she walked to the bar cart sitting between them. Normally, she would never dare touch whiskey. It was improper for a lady, and it burned her mouth and throat horribly. But she needed it.

“Single parenting is difficult,” she agreed in a passive tone as she poured herself two fingers of whiskey.

She raised the bottle to Kenneth, who nodded to her, and she poured the same amount into another glass.

“There is no world in which I can deny that. Like you, I chose not to remarry after my dear husband died. It was too painful of an idea. But what was best for me wasn’t necessarily good for my children. It is only with maturity and time that we can see those mistakes.”

“Well put,” Kenneth agreed, feeling his tension slide away, if only by an iota.

Marianne handed him his glass. They clinked them together, and he drained his in one gulp. Marianne drained half the glass, then let out a hiss. He almost chuckled, despite the brevity of the situation. The Dowager Duchess may have looked perfectly proper on the outside, but inside, she was not afraid to break a rule or two. Just like Lavinia.

“My daughter is not as reckless as you may think,” Kenneth ventured, setting down his glass. “She is well-read and plays the violin. Strangely, she likes the art of cooking and does so quite well. In fact, there was a time when both of her sisters refused to eat any food unless Lavinia had made it. She is patient, wise,usuallypoised, and extremely protective of the ones she loves.”

“There is no denying the greatness in her,” Marianne agreed. “EvenIhave seen it. But this carelessness of hers has cost us all.”

“Not unless your son and Lavinia wed,” Kenneth countered, holding up a finger. “We can twist this story. Make it look as if they were madly in love, trying to keep it a secret because they knew it was wrong. We could say Rebecca gave them her blessing, but before they could announce it, he and Lavinia were caught kissing.”

“They won’t believe that,” Marianne retorted with a dry laugh.

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